It’s Over by Laura L. Smith is the second book in the Status Updates series, suitable for ages sixteen and up. Check out Kathrese McKee’s review of the series’ first book, It’s Complicated.
I agree with Kathrese who placed this series, that follows Claire, Hannah, Palmer, and Kat as they head off to college, on both the Young Adult and New Adult shelves.
Synopsis:
How do you move on when It’s Over? When four college roommates lose pieces of their lives, the pain isolates and the tension rises. Emotions are hard to hide and even harder to tackle. How can the girls move forward, when there is so much pain in letting go? Together, Claire, Kat, Palmer and Hannah learn to lean on God and each other, and through it all they learn loss is a part of life.
Pros:
- This is a Christian contemporary new adult novel! YAY! Rather than bow to the naysayers who say New Adult is strictly sexed-up YA, Laura Smith proves otherwise. Way to go, Laura!!
- As a series, these books allow for more complex story lines that give readers a chance to really get to know the characters.
- These “new adults” face a variety of real life issues, this time each dealing with some kind of loss. Unfortunately, life and loss go together.
- The girls’ faith is challenged. (Wait… that’s a PRO? Why yes it is! Soooo many things/issues/situations/heartaches have the potential to challenge our faith in real life. Why not in fiction too?)
- These tough subjects are handled with both realism and grace.
- OH, and this is Christian contemporary NA! YAY!
Cons:
- I found none to mention. Because I see this as upper-YA and NA, I would expect tough, “edgy” subjects. Hey, being a Christian doesn’t isolate a young adult from the temptations that lure toward worldly pleasures and values. And again, Smith handles these subjects without graphic details or gratuitous scenarios.
My Personal Opinions:
I love a series as it gives me time to fall in love with the characters more and more.
Novels written in first-person present are not my favorite, BUT I’m not the intended audience, even though I read a lot of YA and NA. But I’m sure the “close feel” is a winner with young women as this age group is all about living in the moment.
And while I found some parts a bit mundane, I shook away those thoughts, because not everything in a YA/NA novel has to be about the nitty-gritty stuff. In fact, the parts about sibling and grandparent and parental relationships SHOULD be in novels for this age. Because these are important, often trying real-life connections that can benefit from the lessons learned in realistic fiction.
And YES, I will say it again! YAY for Christian NA! There is no audience more in need of the molding and guidance a Christian worldview novel can give. If my YA or NA aged daughter were interested in the Status Series? I’d buy her the entire set and present them to her with a big smile.
Now it’s on to book #3, It’s Addicting.
Discussion questions:
- Which girl can you relate to most?
- Which struggle/loss/heartache did you most identify with?
- Which decisions did you agree with? Disagree with?